One
by Unique Art
Summary: When Ryou wakes up in the middle of the night, he finds his yami sitting in his comfort place, watching the sky. This leads to thoughts of pain, envy, and hate. Then, after a few minutes, Ryou wonders:Is he really that different than Bakura? One-shot.


Yes, yes. Another Bakura and Ryou-centric one-shot. This wasn't supposed to turn out like it did. Ryou was going to be watching Bakura sleep originally...But, that would be much too fluffy. So, it morphed into this! Only one line is the same, actually. Can you guess which one? I'm not sure if I like it...That's where you guys come in. Now, I know Ryou and Bakura might seem a tad OOC, but I think I handled it better than with any other fic. I think I kept them realistic, and not all fluffy and sweet. And man, was it hard to stop myself from making Bakura soft! Though, there are a few moments...

And then comes the question:Is this tendershipping? The answer:No. It wasn't supposed to be. But, I know there's a few lines that could be thought of as yaoi, if you wanted it to be. I didn't intend for them to be a couple in this fic, but if you see it like that, I can't stop you. Hehe! Ah well, I hope you like it anyway.

**DISCLAIMER:**I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Ryou, or Bakura. Or the thought to put a disclaimer.

* * *

It was late at night, far beyond midnight. The sky was a solemn, engulfing darkness. Hardly a star shone in the cloudy sky. Even the moon was the slightest sliver, barely even noticed in the overwhelming darkness. Like a pathetic sliver of hope, faintly shining in the dark world.

It - in an odd way - reminded me of my yami, Bakura. An overwhelming darkness, smothering the light.

Why was I up at such an odd hour? Well, I _was_ sound asleep, tucked deeply in my bed. Then, a creaking noise rang through the still house. It had woken me up, since I was a fairly light sleeper. Then, a startling chorus of noises followed.

In a daze, I slowly made my way out of the comforts of my bed, toward the hall. And, being groggy and half-asleep, I thought it was a thief breaking into my house. So had I grabbed my pillow to protect myself. Needless to say if I was in any danger, I would be doomed, considering how heavy of a sleeper my dark half was.

I crept through the halls "stealthily", watching for any sign of trouble. And by that I mean I stumbled through the halls, hoping Bakura would wake up before I had to take action with my "weapon". As I said, I wasn't in an incredibly stable state of mind at that very moment.

As I passed Bakura's room slowly, I saw a surprising sight that made me stop dead in my tracks. Bakura's empty bed.

Why is that so strange, you ask? Well, Bakura was the heaviest sleepier in the world, and he never woke up in the middle of the night for _anything._So to see no trace of him, it stunned me bit. Where could he be? I was clutching my pillow for dear life now, fearing the thief had done something to Bakura.

I know, I know. My darkness isn't exactly easy to "over-power", but my head wasn't really working to well right then. So, I just stood there, frozen in the hallway, squeezing a pillow. While in my pj's, like a frightened child. Man, if Bakura had seen me, I would never have heard the end of it!

That's when I saw it. The movement of silver outside of the window.

Cautiously, I made my way over to my yami's room, dropping the pillow in the hall. I was a little clearer in the head, so I realized it would do nothing. I kept inching closer, my movements stiff. I eventually became within a few feet of the window, maneuvering around all of the items sloppily thrown or discarded on the floor. Stupid yami.

I then saw a figure sitting casually sitting on the edge of the roof, gazing up at the sky in silence. As I came a bit closer, a pang hit me. The figure was my dark!

I wondered what he was doing out there this late at night. So, as if in a trance, I approached the window - that was left wide open lazily. I cocked my head to the side, studying my yami. He seemed so...content. I found it strange.

I decided quickly to see what he found so amusing. I slid my leg over the window ledge quietly, and then the other. I sat there, my legs dangling in the gap between the window and the roof below. I stared at my dark half, a puzzled feeling welling in my stomach. Why was he just sitting there, gazing at the sky?

He seemed so...well_, innocent_. He looked so confused, and lost in his own mind. He looked as if many questions swarmed his head, eating at his sanity. Well, at least what was left of it. Like he needed to clear his head from the confusion overwhelming it.

It almost reminded me of...my_self_.

When I need a quiet place to go after Bakura had verbally bashed at me, I went out on the roof. It was slightly ironic, I guess. When he ate away at my confidence, chewing up my comforts and shredded them to pitiful pieces, I found warmth there. When he sneered at me, calling me a dirty animal, not worthy of this world, I came there to seek answers. Comfort. Peace. Anything!

What did _he_ have to be comforted from? He had nobody to shatter his fragile mind. He had nobody to torment him in his weakest state! He had nobody like himself.

But, I found another thing odd. I was so comfortable and relaxed; this close to him! Usually I shook in his presence, a cold fear running through my spine. I usually felt his icy glare pierce my heart, and his sneer send me to my knees. So why was this any different? Maybe it was because...he was no different than me at that moment.

He was lost, vulnerable, and seeking. It was an odd sensation, being so similar to the person I hated with my whole being. It was almost scary, in an weird way. Like we weren't polar opposites after all.

I sat there a few moments, my mind wandering a bit to more scattered thoughts like that. It was a chilling silence, like the whole world had stopped spinning on it's axis. Then, a sharp sound sliced through the air like a knife, sending a chill up my spine.

"Why are you staring at me?"

I froze. No other word could describe my feeling at that moment. Just...frozen.

The comfortable air was shattered, and the fear engulfed me once again, like the darkness swallowing up the sliver of the moon. His voice made me tremble slightly in shock.

He turned to face me, his chocolate eyes sharp and demanding. "I know I'm gorgeous, but it was getting kinda creepy." His face didn't break into a hateful sneer, like it usually did. It stayed blunt and emotionless.

"I..I-I..." I stuttered, my brain moving too fast for my mouth to comprehend. His gaze was terrifying! It felt like it was trying to look into to my soul, and shatter it to bits. It was a cold, numbing feeling.

"Yes?" he snapped, eyes narrowing.

"I...um...heard you, well, uh, get up. I th-thought something...was, uh, wrong. I ca-came to check on things, and saw you out h-here." I looked down at my bare feet, hardly noticing the cool wind breezing against them. My whole body had gone numb; too cold to feel.

"You've been out here for a long time," he stated, eyes locked with my own.

I gulped, my fear only growing. Was he angry at me? Oh, Ra, I hoped not! "I was...thinking."

He smirked a bit. His stupid, sadistic smirk! "About what, hikari?"

Blinking, I pondered how to answer it. "The...the truth, Bakuara?"

"Foolish light! I would expect nothing else."

"I was thinking about..." I hesitated, and bit my lip. "...you," I whispered, turning my head downcast.

I could see his face change slightly, even through my silver hair that was covering my face. "Really?" He seemed to be pondering his next move. Then, after a moment, my yami asked, "Why, pathetic light?"

"You're...doing what I normally do, when I'm thinking. Or...venting." I kept my gaze down, a red tint flowing to my creamy cheeks. I closed my eyes, and waited to be slapped with a whip of harsh words.

"Venting from_ what, _hikari?" he sneered. I shivered slightly, but opened my eyes.

"You don't wanna-"

"Tell me, you idiot!" he barked, his eyes narrowed.

I took a sharp breath in, a pang of fear hitting my stomach like a sharp kick. Then, suddenly, a wave of emotions crashed on me like salty sea water. A powerful sense filled me, if only for a moment. "Venting from _you!_" I said loudly, snapping my head up sharply. My eyes were full of pain, and a small, Bakura-like sneer formed on my face.

He blinked twice, a tad stunned from my reaction. He recovered quickly. "...Interesting."

"Interesting?" I echoed, my voice softer. A tiny jolt of fear came back.

A dark, bitter, and slightly amused smile formed on his face. "Yes, hikari. My thoughts were on you as well." For a moment, his eyes didn't hold a sadistic glint like he had when he insulted or lashed out on me. They seemed slightly...different. "I was thinking about the times you would sneak out here, tears in your stupid, fragile eyes. The times you were blubbering like an idiot, feeling all depressed and crap. It made me sick to think you were my hikari! Hiding up here, sobbing."

I winched visibly, his gaze stabbing into me like a knife. A sharp, cruel butcher knife.

"And to think, I used to feel guilty," he laughed, giving me a deathly gaze. "At first, it hurt me a tad inside to see the pain on your stupid, innocent face." His voice was soft and calm, with a bitter coating of harsh words slathered all over it. "Then, I realized how much you needed the things I said. You deserved it, Ryou! It was your own fault, being so feeble."

He had just opened up a secrurely sewn wound in my heart. Just ripped it straight open, so easily! And now I know it was guilt free. He made _me _sick. But, I couldn't voice those opinions. No, not to him! He'd just make to wound bigger, causing it to sting, not just ache dully. And he would do it while grinning. _Grinning_ at my pain!

"Then, before I knew it, I was out here. To see what you found so wonderful!" he laughed slightly. "All I saw was a deep black ocean of nothing-ness, and a gentle breeze ruffling my air. And it was so _quiet!" _

"That's what I liked about it."

He arched an eyebrow, somewhat amused. "The quiet, aibou?" he mocked, using that sweet word with venom. For a moment, I envied Yugi. _His _yami cared about him! _His _yami didn't hurt him! He didn't turn so bitter. He stayed as a light should; innocent and oblivious. And I wasn't. Not any longer!

And, I didn't know how to answer him. He made me so uneasy. Any wrong word could set him off. But, I decided to say, "No, not the quiet. The nothing-ness." I waited to see how my cruel yami would react to this one. I was already scarred with his words, like a whip that had been used on me constantly. I should have been used to it, I guess. But for some reason, it hurt every time.

He just stared at me, eyes not blinking. Then, suddenly, he commanded, "Get inside." He didn't say it with a cruel, hurtful tone. He said it softly, with a tiny sliver of the slightest compassion. It startled me, in an odd way. "Well? Quit sitting there! Move, you idiot!" he barked. Back to his normal self.

I did as I was told, and swung my legs over the window ledge, not waiting for Bakura to move. I began to make my way through the mess, slightly relieved at what had happened.

_He wasn't awful, like he was the other night. _I shivered at the haunting memory. _He was almost...decent._

Then, I a soft mumble come from the roof. I was curious to what it was, so I strained to listen to my dark. "...aren't so diferent after all."

The words sent a shiver up my spine, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. What had Bakura meant by that? Were we really similar? I blinked, pondering the question. A few moments later, I came to an answer:

We were.

And, for the slightest moment - and only the slightest moment - we didn't feel like light and dark; yin and yang; hikari and yami. We felt like two halves of the same whole. The same person, separated by only fragile line.

We were one.

* * *

Good? Bad? Feel free to tell me. Oh, and I'm guessing there will be confusions about how the got to the "roof" from his window...Well, in my house, I have a covered porch below my window. A slanted "roof" comes out, and I guess I could step out there if I wanted to. Never really tried XD. Anyway, that's all I meant by it. Sorry if it confused you...

Anyway, review what your thoughts were.

Unique Art


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